The present invention relates to liquid compositions including N-6-Benzyladenine (N6BA) for the purpose of promoting the growth and development of a wide variety of plant life.
N6BA has been recognized as an agent for promoting the growth and development of various types of plant life and is also used in some discrete, nonliving, chemical processes.
N6BA has also generally been demonstrated as physiologically effective in modifying plant growth and development of a myriad of plant species in many different ways. Responses elicited include promotion of cell division, inhibition of respiration, increasing retention of water and drought resistance, enhancing root and top growth with change in root/top ratios as well as shortening plant internodes which produces shorter bushier plants. The material has also been found to increase plant sugar content and enhancing color development and intensity in fruits and flowers while increasing the numbers of flowers.
Additionally, application of the material can increase chlorophyll retention in both pre and post harvest commodities and extends useable storage life of many fresh commodities while imparting a greater resistance to environmental stress.
The above noted advantageous effects are usually achieved by aqueous spray application of N6BA at low concentrations to field or greenhouse grown plants or as an aqueous dip applied to harvested commodities.
Some instances of application to preplanting seed treatment has been noted.
Working concentrations can be attained for spray application but considerable difficulty is experienced in attaining such field useable concentrations because of the low solubility of N6BA in known acceptable solvents. The low solubility ratios of N6BA has severely restrained its widespread use. In fact, the difficulty in compounding concentrates from which dilute spray solutions can be made along with the virtual impossibility of compounding super concentrates required for widespread field use with known techniques has generally relegated the use of the material to scientific investigation.
In order to be effective, N6BA must be applied as a dilute solution. However general use of N6BA has been hampered and virtually precluded in any application by the very low characteristic solubility of the material in water or other carriers. For example, at about 15 degrees C. the solubility of N6BA in water is limited to about 0.00044 grams per 100 milliliters which is far below a realistically useful level for commercial use.
It is known that the solubility of N6BA can be increased by the use of hydroxide in the water but even in such compositions the solubility is not increased to concentration levels practical for field concentrates and is not useful at all for super concentrates required for effective commercial use.
Ideally in order for a practical solution to be developed it is necessary to be able to produce a super concentrate. This reduces packaging and shipping cost since such a super concentrate can then be diluted to field concentrate levels with further dilution before application.
N6BA may be dissolved to approximately 5% concentration in mineral acids which are difficult to handle and many of which are inappropriate solvents for agricultural use. The N6BA can also be dissolved in alcohol-mineral acid solvent systems but still the solubility cannot be increased beyond the solubility in undiluted mineral acid.
Thus, no prior art composition has been developed to facilitate the manufacture of solutions of N6BA in commercially viable concentrations to allow shipment and subsequent dilution for use.